The Clippers CHOKE in Big Games.

It's time to admit it. Down the stretch of the season, with playoff positioning on the line, we CHOKE in big games.

Since December 1st, we are 5-10 against the top 8 teams in the West, Memphis, Indiana, and Miami. Our 5 wins have come against Memphis without Gasol, Dallas twice (they play no defense and we STILL had to come back), Portland (who are plummeting down the standings), and the Spurs in a game where Parker got hurt midway through and had to leave the game.

Every time we play a big game against a top-tier opponent at full strength, we get scared and stop running our offense, get exposed on defense, get owned on the boards, make stupid mistakes, miss free throws and try to play catch-up all night. It's really getting old. People need to stop being in denial and admit that this team is seriously flawed.

ClipperPostman

02/21/2014 - 09:51 PM PST

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So was portland a big game?

Interesting You gave other teams the excuse of injuries

yet didn't mention those games we lost were without

our key players as well.

This is why I can't take you serious.

JQuick32

02/21/2014 - 09:52 PM PST

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I already explained the Portland win. They're plummeting back down to Earth after a fluke start to the season. Not THAT impressive, especially since we allowed them to hit three after three on us.

ClipperPostman

02/21/2014 - 09:59 PM PST

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So basically you're just trying to find the negative

in everything...

Agent0

02/21/2014 - 10:00 PM PST

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Losing isn't choking, though since they missed a lot of FT's tonight, I'll take the choke label, but simply losing isn't choking.

ClipperKyle32

02/21/2014 - 10:00 PM PST

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Oh My God. Why is this thread necessary? Of course the Clippers haven't beaten quality teams lately , but the Clippers haven't had their entire team either. It is the second half of the season....

Well, apparently, it is not an excuse for this team, but it is for those teams.

JJ is a big part of the offense. His constant movement and shooting ability keeps defense honest. People seem to forget that by him not playing it hurts the bench as your best bench producer is now starting in his place.

The thing with the Spurs is simple. They know each other inside out. They have had the same system since God knows when and know how to get the right player. Doc has been here less than 8 months and has an entirely new system (applies for players) and players (applies to Doc).

Miami has 2 superstars and an all star who used to be superstar.

OKC is the darlings of the NBA. They get special treatment (see Ibakas' Junk shot)

.

I would bet on a HEALTHY Clippers team against anyone in a 7 game series.

Laak

02/21/2014 - 10:14 PM PST

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Well you and Quick balance out, since you only find positives in everything lol. Look at how the Spurs, Thunder, Heat are doing missing their star players, yet you're still using the injury excuse lol.

I can only remember 3 bad loses, against Pacers (where we can't get a rebound last minute), Portland and this Griz game. Don't really think we CHOKE, this kind of stuff happens when the games are close. Also, most of the big games we're back-to-back games on the road for us, or 4th game in 5 nights. Don't think this is a big deal yet.

clipper*joe

02/21/2014 - 10:20 PM PST

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Very true but that's not what he's getting at.

"Down the stretch of the season, with playoff positioning on the line, we CHOKE in big games"

I said basically the same thing in the game thread too...Way before the game started. Anytime we've had a golden opportunity to jump over someone, or make a gain, we seem to **** on ourselves. So choking does apply. Choking away a opportunity, not necessarily the way we lose.

clipper*joe

02/21/2014 - 10:22 PM PST

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Spurs play with a skeleton crew and still win...Beat the hell out of us recently. Thunder lose westbrook and actually get better. You are right, excuses need to stop.

WinningBasket

02/21/2014 - 10:23 PM PST

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It's so disruptive to have such venom spewing against our Clippers team. Of course, we are all disappointed when they lose, but there shouldn't be such constant negativity, gloom and doom. It's one game. Granted, we wanted the Clippers to beat the crap out of the much-hated Grizzlies, but it didn't happen tonight. We wanted a statement win against the Spurs. It didn't happen then either. If Clippers continue a downward spiral, perhaps then that'll be a time to panic. But for now, let's be positive and cheer on our team, shall we? We're not at 100% full strength and we have 3 open roster spots. Let's see what happens to our roster in the next two weeks.

cleepers

02/21/2014 - 10:27 PM PST

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"It's time to admit it" ?

You've been here less than a month and you've posted it almost 400 times. I anoint you ClipperSam 2.0 ...because you scream one note incessantly.

The way I see it, there are three options open to you... you can either buy a franchise and build your own team - that way we can all see what a genius you are... you can just leave the actual professionals to their jobs (because they don't give a flying f*ck what you think) and offer reasonable opinions about the good AND bad of this team... or you can continue to hate on every aspect of the players, coaching and management of this team until everybody just tunes you out as a troll.

Good luck.

clipper*joe

02/21/2014 - 10:28 PM PST

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It's not just one game though. There is a pattern of shriveling any time we can make gains.

WinningBasket

02/21/2014 - 10:35 PM PST

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Yeah, Clippers have had this awful shriveling thing going on, but I have to keep a positive spin or else I'll go nuts, lol. Games like tonight are tough to take when you know they are so much better than this. Now, if they win against OKC on Sunday, all is right in Clippers World and I can forget about this loss and the loss against the Spurs. Lol

wessleejr

02/21/2014 - 10:36 PM PST

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I'm not worried, somebody here predict that we will be number two.

sz123456

02/21/2014 - 10:39 PM PST

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Spurs went to Phoenix tonight, rivalry game and lost by 20. What a bunch of chokers, they better trade everyone and fire their coach too

LuckTheFakers

02/21/2014 - 10:40 PM PST

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Hello topbuzz! I have been lurking for a while here but I had to speak up. I used to be a member of another clipper forum but the place basically died because one poster named BlueJaysClippers kept ranting incessantly in the same manner as the OP. Literally every post from this guy was bellyaching about the team, calling them chokers, frauds etc and all it did was make the whole forum (which used to be a fun place) very tense and snippy. What I am trying to say is that the negativity is contageous and can easily ruin a community. This board is great but I'm starting to see the same thing happen-- everyone is just sniping left and right and overreacting to every loss.

We don't have to be homers but let's be realistic. The Clippers are a good team that can be great at full strength. Obviously cp3 is hurt and we're missing a huge part of our offense with Reddick out. We're not the well oiled machine that the Spurs is so losing key pieces is killer. But still we've shown we can hang with good teams. I couldn't believe what I was reading in the game thread.. i mean, the Grizzlies have been playing GREAT and if it weren't for a ridiculously bad FT shooting showing we would have won that one. The sky isn't falling, folks, but people are starting to think that way due to the air of negativity by a couple of posters.

Please don't let it ruin the forum.

clipper*joe

02/21/2014 - 10:48 PM PST

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Those damn Suns! Now there is a team with no-names that can beat the best of them. Bunch of overachievers.

cleepers

02/21/2014 - 10:50 PM PST

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@LuckTheFakers...

BlueJaysClippers?

Maybe it's just a hockey thing to be a miserable, negative f*ck.

LuckTheFakers

02/21/2014 - 10:52 PM PST

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Yeah, it got really bad but the mods didn't care. Every post was the same "thee guys are pathetic frauds" etc, just one note. I thought he might be a troll but that's a lot of effort to bash a team most people don't care about!

jarca

02/22/2014 - 12:02 AM PST

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For the past 3 years, Blake has taken the brunt of the criticism media wise. Blake has seriously step up his game. It's time for CP the highest paid player on the team to take some responsibility on the court

JQuick32

02/22/2014 - 12:06 AM PST

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Look, I don't like to talk bad about the team, and I'm not trying to ruin the forum. But this season is way too close to last season for comfort. I wish I could pretend that everything is just fine with the team and that they're playing good, but I live in reality, so I can't.

One other point: JJ Redick is a very solid role player, but if he's the difference between a good team and this, we were never contenders in the first place. Real contenders don't fall off this badly when one role player gets injured.

david

02/22/2014 - 12:13 AM PST

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Not sure "choke" is the right word. It's simply a matter of not being good enough collectively as a team to knock off the playoff-caliber teams on a consistent basis. Big games invariably are vs tough teams, and when you are not yet a good enough TEAM, you are going to have mixed results. Fans obviously all want the team to perform well vs weak & difficult opponents alike, but in reality is that this group is not yet at that point yet to be able to do so. Hopefully they will improve and gel by the time playoff starts.

ClipperSam

02/22/2014 - 12:22 AM PST

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I had no idea I was so popular.

2.0 the 2nd coming..

beware

JQuick32

02/22/2014 - 12:27 AM PST

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Well, if we're WCF contenders like some people are claiming, we should have no problems winning these games and should be a good enough team.

I honestly can't even imagine this team getting farther than the second round at best. Again, not spewing venom, just giving my honest opinion based on how the team has played. A WCF contender would be on the same level as OKC and the Spurs, but we don't even look like we belong on the same court with those teams. The Spurs just beat us at home without three starters and OKC is about to hand us a humiliating asswhooping on Sunday.

LuckTheFakers

02/22/2014 - 12:28 AM PST

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Jquick32, that's all well and good but you should ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish by constantly bashing the team. Is it your goal for everyone to just say "man, you are right... the Clippers really are a bunch of pretenders!"? Does that somehow validate you or make these losses easier to swallow? Does repeating this over and over add anything the discussion, anymore than repeating "we are the best team ever!!!" would?

On the other hand, consider the consequences of being so negative all the time. It makes people angry and jumpy, just like you undoubtedly are whilst watching the Clippers. I'm telling you, this BlueJaysClippers singlehandedly drove off posters who had been discussing the Clippers for over 10 years. And this, in a season that has been for the most part a big success so far. Don't be that guy.

LuckTheFakers

02/22/2014 - 12:34 AM PST

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You do know that the Spurs have one of the worst records against "contenders" (we seem to be the only one they can beat) and OKC just came off a trip where they lost to Orlando and Washington?

The fact is that if you only lose games against contenders you will win 65-70 games. No, the Clippers aren't that good yet. But that doesn't mean you have to jump off a bridge after losing a tough road game to a team playing as well as anyone in the NBA right now.

JQuick32

02/22/2014 - 12:35 AM PST

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I'm really not trying to accomplish anything other than discussing how the team is playing. Everyone has different ways of dealing with losses, mine is to vent during and immediately after the game and then usually get over it by the next day.

I can't lie, though, it's pretty annoying to see people cling to the injury excuse as the sole reason why we're losing big games. We haven't been fully healthy since early November, at some point you need to adjust and adapt to the situation. And our struggles against top teams have much more to do with the mental aspect of the game and the roster construction than health, IMO.

ClipsGForce

02/22/2014 - 12:40 AM PST

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Not surprise who start this thread. I knew it was JQuick - the new ClipperSam.

Clipperfn4lf

02/22/2014 - 12:40 AM PST

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Maybe we should take Blake's time machine and insert him onto the 05-06 team and perhaps we could get the WCF for once.

LuckTheFakers

02/22/2014 - 12:41 AM PST

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It is fine to vent but from what I've seen you just repeat the same thing over and over, as if you are desperate for someone to validate your position by agreeing with you. But all that really happens is that you piss everyone off and they put you on the ignore list. You make it sound like the Clippers are, well the Clippers of five years ago. But this is self fulfilling because you are so negative that you aren't counting their good performances and are overblowing their bad ones. The win against Portland was a good win. The two wins against Dallas were good wins. The recent road trip overall was very successful (any winning road trip is a success). Even the losses at GS and at Portland were good showings. If you only count good wins as beating a contender at their place, very few teams are any good. I mean, Houston lost back to back to these same Grizzlies just recently, and they have been playing great!

ClipsGForce

02/22/2014 - 12:42 AM PST

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Yeah, we should bring Chris Paul to 05-06 team to get us to the final

david

02/22/2014 - 12:44 AM PST

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The Clippers don't look like WCF contenders right now, but that could change. Spurs beat the Clippers at home w/o 3 starters, but let's face it, they have a heck of a bench that could beat a lot of starters. Their problem is going to be like the Clippers of last season- is their best 5 going to be be good enough vs the best 5 of championship contenders. I think the answer is no.

OKC can beat the Clippers on Sunday, but conversely the Clippers have the capability to beat them. It'll be a fun game to watch.

ClipsGForce

02/22/2014 - 12:51 AM PST

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Okay this is where you go wrong. What do you expect when you start this thread? You say "Admit it" and this is where the wildfire begins. It's fine for you to criticize but EVERY SINGLE POST, its negative after negative. You keep putting out fruitless statement in hoping that one of these statement will make yourself look good. What are you trying to prove?

Seriously, as a long time Clippers fan, this is the most enjoyable team I ever watch as a fan. You have no idea how long I had been waiting for this type of season to come. Yes, Clippers will have their struggle, but to say that they can't win big game is idiotic itself. Did you see how Clippers beat Portland? or how they came back 15 down to beat Mavericks? Did you see how Clips beat the Spurs? If there is something I love this team is their willing to fight and very rarely not in the game.

You keep making excuse for the other team. However you contradict yourself saying that Clippers should not be excuse themselves as injuries happen. Stuff like this happens. I am more worry about the progress and if the team is improving. I see a lot of improvement ever since the first day of the season. Wait until Big Baby arrived and hopefully GRanger as well. Then maybe we see more of a complete team than with Jamison and Mullens.

Clips84

02/22/2014 - 01:06 AM PST

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I've been a Clipper Fan since '97, bro, you need to take a chill pill.

Tsk tsk tsk .... This game was a huge game, but not that big of a deal... come back and start a thread when the playoffs begin.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk

kjavis

02/22/2014 - 01:07 AM PST

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This team will ultimately be measured by their success in the PO. But since our winning percentage is so lop sided towards home games its in our best interest to amass the best record possible to gain that home court advantage which means it doesn't matter who we win or lose to during the regular season.

In saying that overall our performance against the 'better' teams thusfar has been less than flattering and when our star player is averaging 24+pts per game and even more so in the big games, 42pts vs Miami, 33pts vs Spurs, 28pts vs Grizz and we still lose then there is definitely something wrong.

Griffinforpresident

02/22/2014 - 01:24 AM PST

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God, put an end to this thread and move on.

The Clips will be fine.

Silasie

02/22/2014 - 02:25 AM PST

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No but you're are giving it a good go anyway.

From what I've seen of your posts talking bad about the team is what you want from this forum. Look we all get frustrated with what's happening with the Clips at times but your constant negativity is getting old quick.........................................maybe mix it up a little.

ClipperPostman

02/22/2014 - 02:41 AM PST

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On a side note did anyone see Lebron get his nose broke in

OKC by Ibaka and didn't even get a foul call. WTF.

Something needs to be done with the horseshit reffing going on in OKC>

kjavis

02/22/2014 - 02:55 AM PST

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Preferably sorted out before Sunday

Paolo310

02/22/2014 - 03:26 AM PST

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Can we please not let threads like this exist! Please vent on your own... you're gonna look back to this and realize how emotional you are. @whoeverstartedthisdumbthread

Heediot

02/22/2014 - 06:45 AM PST

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Don't feed the troll.

clipperharry

02/22/2014 - 08:48 AM PST

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Choke , no !!!! Clippers are working with a lot of moving parts !! They are people to and have emotions !! The Memphis game was a game to get there emotions together after the trade dead line !! We forget these guys are humans with families and emotions !! If you watch Dudley play ,he wears his emotions on his sleves !! They just need to settle down and Paul's needs to keep shooting they will go in !! Keep the faith my clipper bros and sisters ( chin up )

FightOnRon

02/22/2014 - 11:01 AM PST

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Now you guys want to talk choke jobs,watch the US hockey team right now,there is a choke job.

FightOnRon

02/22/2014 - 11:07 AM PST

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I have quite a number of years on a lot of the "fans" on this site and trust me, I want to belly-ache and bitch with the best of us but I try not to type my whining because we lose two games badly like we just did, the blame game starts ,then we turn around and punch teams in the throats and all the whining make me and other whiners look like an idiots so I try to hold back. Last night was easy,we effed up our FTs. Shoot FTs like a normal team, we easily win. the biggest problem is just lack of consistency and urgency.

Silasie

02/22/2014 - 11:13 AM PST

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I think your exclamation mark key got stuck.

clipperboy24

02/22/2014 - 11:32 AM PST

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We have a lot of great pieces and can win eight his roster but we need more structured plays showcasing Blake Griffin. He should really be averaging 35+ per game as we just pound it in to him every chance they get. Also pound it into DJ. This will open up the perimeter, which when they make shots helps open up the inside. Double whammy!!!

Agent0

02/22/2014 - 11:55 AM PST

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Yea, they've struggled with a bit of those and it would be nice for them to pick it up,from that perspective.

I just don't get the OP. He's honestly explodes and projects after everything.

Team is down 5 points in a game - it's over, this team sucks, Doc needs to get new players, 14/15 players have so,etching wrong with them

Team losses a game - we're a first round exit, it's over, why do I watch this team, we're going nowhere, here's to losing to any good team

Team doesn't sign a player - it's over, no way we do anything with the current roster, what's wrong with Doc

I have no problem being realistic. I said in summer that the collection of bigs wasn't at that point to be good enough on defense, and Blake and DJ were still wait and see. Also that we weren't strong enough on wing defense to be an elite defensive team based on individual players. I believe before offense, elite defense is what can carry this team through playoff rounds. So no, I haven't at any point in time thought this team was a favorite to win a championship or had fixed some glaring flaws, and hopefully neither have many of us. That is different from screaming the sky is falling after every single little happenings over and over and over again.

There's no perspective put into losses or player production or lack thereof, it's just "we're doomed and it's over, this team is going nowhere". What is that? So weird. For example Paul is coming back from a shoulder injury, you can't work on your shooting with that injury, we don't know how rest or lack thereof affects his shooting with the injury. Him playing one or two good game means nothing in gauging the injury effect. Our judgment of the effect of the injury will be on his consistency over games. There's always outliers, so saying "well he played well in the first game, so how is it the injury now" means nothing. Injuries affect consistency not singular production. The OP is seemingly the type of person that seems to just glance over any of that and just jump to "Paul is sucking, we're done"

Paul has has his second and third highest FTA games the last two games since he's tried to make something else happen due to his shot being off / him not being confident in it (hence the 1 3PA/game on 25%), that's what great players do. The Portland game was an outlier, I think 2/3 makes vs Philly were layups. He's not confident in his 3PT shot it seems, he's shooting only 76% from the FT line.

In his 15 games before injury, Paul averaged 21/5/10 and shot 47% FG and 42% 3PT and took 3 three's a game in just 34.7 mins. He scored 19+ in 10/15 games, he had 19 in 22 minutes vs Dallas already, and he scored 17 in a blowout win against Charlotte in 32 minutes, would have scored more if it was actually a close game, so 11/15 games his scoring was on point. Clippers went 10-5, remember with no Redick and Barnes wasn't playing as well then, which says something since it isn't like he's great now. So do we think he just forgot how to play basketball?

Redick is the catalyst of the motion offense, he's out. Jamal just doesn't play the same way on offense, Green tries but he's been poor this season and injured. Jamal is the catalyst of the bench, he's in the starting lineup, and the bench isn't good enough on defense to make that their calling card like last years bench, and last years bench still had Jamal.

The team with no Redick, and a recovering CP does not have the quality depth to compete consistently against high level teams, that should be obvious. If the team played elite defense, then sure because the offensive burden is a lot less, but we don't at the moment.